As I wrap up my sixth week at Street Sense, I am inspired by the vendor community with whom I am currently working. A group of about 100 dedicated vendors represent and live the change that policy makers love to talk about.
Coming from a workforce development background, my approach to poverty alleviation and ending homelessness has always been one of pragmatism, tangible benchmarks and individual empowerment through employment, education and perseverance. What sets Street Sense apart from traditional employment or the sometimes too-formulaic case plans used in social services is the coupling of job skills and income management with the intangible elements of human development: self-confidence, social and conflict resolution skills, a positive attitude, hope for something better and a solid work ethic.
Building partnerships with social service providers in the area, Street Sense is not only a newspaper, but a supportive, healing community where people experiencing homelessness can come to work and earn income as well as to search for a permanent job, attend a support group or learn about homeless services opportunities in the city.
New opportunities for vendors, including our “Tea Time with Women of Street Sense” and a competitive sales program with newspaper bonuses for top sellers are helping to engage people more effectively and meaningfully. In the next six months as we revamp our vendor training program, we plan to increase our recruitment efforts to include more women, bilingual vendors, and single parents, reaching a much larger segment of the homeless population than we currently do. Recognizing a need for a better-defined path of a Street Sense vendor, we are working with local social service providers to design individual plans for improvement, goal setting, and benchmarks throughout their time as a vendor.
We have an opportunity to cut across political barriers and agendas to make a difference not only in the lives of our vendors, but also in the lives of our readers and the people who have yet to become readers. We realize that the mutually beneficial relationship of our vendors and our supporters is a unique way to truly foster community development. Reaching out not only to those with homeless services on their personal agenda, but also to business owners, law enforcement, students and politicians, we hope to engage the entire community around us and work together towards our common goals. I look forward to hearing from you and other readers, and welcome any email feedback on vendor services at [email protected].
